Reviews

I know this book has gotten a lot of love on the interweb and on paper it has everything that would make me love it, which is why I bought it not long after it came out. Literally all I need is a pirate and I’ll buy it, but this book has everything else too. Twisted magic? Got it. Semi-creepy mermaids? Yeh. The promise of romance? It’s there. Kingdom and monarchy? Duh. But there was just a lack of oomph that made this book a bit of a miss for me.

The main guy (can’t even remember his name) seemed like he was supposed to have the vibe of characters like Baz or Kaz with his over the top fashion choices and hints of moral ambiguity, but he just didn’t have the angst or the charisma to pull it off. I would say that 13 or 14 year old Cassidy would have loved this book because of him, but she was already thirsting after book boys like Jace, Noah Shaw, and Ignifix so I think she already had more refined taste, thank you very much. I appreciated his flair for finely tailored coats but I don’t think he and Amora had any chemistry, which made his character seem a little weaker. Honestly, he probably had a more interesting backstory and I wish he had been the main character, because given the right attention I think he could have shone.

Where what’s his face just felt a little flat, I actively disliked Amora. I thought she seemed petulant and entitled, and where she should have grown out of it by the end of the book, she didn’t. The only reason I know she’d make a good Queen is because she kept telling me so. The amount of times she essentially said she deserved to rule over everyone or it was her right was severely irritating to me and almost made me stop reading. It would have been one thing if she did literally anything to back it up, or if she got a healthy reality check after everything she learns about her family and legacy, but she doesn’t. She marches onto this guy’s boat, acts like she owns the place, and tries to run the operation even when it’s abundantly clear that she doesn’t know shit. They supposedly bond over the fact that “she was made for sailing” and she’s such a natural. ???? Where? What tf does this girl know about anything?

While this was something of a rant, I think that the world Grace built was really interesting and unique. The imagery alone is beautiful and is one of the reasons why I kept reading even when I wanted to throttle Amora. Had the main character been more well-rounded or at least experienced some character development than I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more and continued the series. As it is, this book just didn’t work for me but I do see why so many other people loved it. Anyone who has read All the Tides of Fate: let me know if I should give it a whirl!

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3.0

3.5 stars.
This is one of those cases where maybe it was the right book at the wrong time for me. I think YA Fantasy lovers will LOVE this book, its unique magic, the dark dramatic plot, and the characters.
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There were a few things that personally didn't work for me, just based on my own preferences - and that is how I rate a book, based on my own enjoyment.
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For me, the multifaceted magic system was the best part of this book. I enjoyed how the author combined important plot development with glimpses of the different magical islands in this world for great world building. It's one of the few books with a complicated magic system that is explained it in a way that is equal parts show and tell. I also really appreciated the demonstration of Amora's magic (both gruesome and awe-some) because it is definitely something that would be complicated to grasp without the manifestation.
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I will admit, when we first learned the whole legend and why people are not allowed to learn different magics I wasn’t buying it. To me it immediately seemed like a weak attempt to excuse keeping people down and less powerful. However, this is explored a lot in the book in an interesting and well crafted way that turned my original thoughts around.
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We do get to see some of the islands and the different magics people have learned. It showed an interesting and heartbreaking contrast between the uber rich careful, easy lives of some. To the backbreaking and poverty stricken reality of a people who are perpetually trying to rebuild their island and keep themselves alive. These are the same people who tried to work to learn magic to protect themselves and were swiftly exiled and punished by the monarchy for not following the set rules.
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Then we have the characters who had a lot of my favorite aspects. Strong, snarky, and not afraid to speak their mind. Amora has been kept in the dark her whole life about the problems in her kingdom; her father wanted to protect her, but again that seems like an easy excuse from him to keep doing what he wanted without someone questioning his decisions. I loved how she quickly learned not to accept things for face value and some of the scenes where she describes the heartbreak she feels for the people in her kingdom who are suffering - and actively is trying to change it by risking her life, shows a lot of humility and empathy from someone in a totalitarian monarchy position. However, sometimes she would do things in a way that was almost a slide backward in her growth, or were out of character completely. There were a few things that let me down about her character

Spoiler

ie she needs to kiss the two men at one point to break the cruse, the fact that she feels shame when she gets her period (though she did stand up and declare that it didn't make her weak which I did like - just wishing for a portrayal of this important life event in a way that was more accepting), frustrated me.

The trope of not only an unwanted fiance and later semi-love triangle are not my favorites, but I know a lot of fans will enjoy this.
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I also enjoyed the aspects of a crew at sea, the descriptions of the ship and the ocean. The crew characters had their great qualities too. Vataea, a fierce, never backing down mermaid who refuses to be put in the box her people want her to be. Bastian, a stubborn pirate who trusts no one, yet puts his life in danger to be the voice of dissent against the government and does all he can to try and save this world that has never tried to help him. Ferrick, a kind healer, betrothed to a women who he knows doesn't love him, but nonetheless wants to do anything to protect her.
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The pacing of this book at times did throw me off, as I was committed to the action scenes and revelation of secrets, and less so the introspection of Amora into her parents' deceit, but this is my personal preference. The writing was easy to follow and I fell into the action scenes easily.
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At the climax of the novel, there were some good twists that were slightly predictable but done in a captivating way. I did have a little problem with the ending

Spoiler

because it angered me that now Amora's magic is tied to Bastian. I understand the plot device and how it works with the romance, but dang was I completely disappointed that we're give a strong female character who now is tied against her will to a man and all her magic is with him. I know Bastian isn't a domineering man character, but still it seems a little like again having a female MC at the mercy of a man. Also, I didn't really like the ending pages where everyone is commanded to bow, bow, bow. I understand it's part of the coronation, but it just didn't at all fit with the whole idea of saving the kingdom and freeing the people, etc. I'm actually hoping that maybe they can find a way to get away from the absolute monarchy system at the end of the series.

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I think this book will be great for fans of books such as Children of Blood and Bone, Daughter of the Pirate King, and The Lunar Chronicles.
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Thank you to the publishers for a copy; I was happy to give my honest thoughts.